Foreign Ministry: Georgia working on agreement to maintain ceasefire

Georgia is working intensely on an agreement to prevent any renewal of shooting incidents, head of a Georgian delegation, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia David Zalkaliani told journalists on the results of the next round of Geneva talks.

The talks were held on Dec.17-18 in Geneva with the participation of Georgia, Russia and representatives of Georgia's breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the UN, OSCE, and EU.

The deputy minister reiterated that Georgia intends to conclude an agreement on the non-renewal of fire with Russia, but Moscow insists on signing this agreement between Tbilisi and Sukhumi and between Tbilisi and Tskhinvali.

"We began discussing the agreement, although there is no significant progress in that direction," Zalkaliani said.

The next meeting in a Geneva format will be held in January 2014.

The Geneva talks were convened after the armed conflict in Georgia in August 2008, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement of August 12.

Large scale military action was launched in South Ossetia on August 8, 2008. Later, Russian troops occupied Tskhinvali and expelled the Georgian military.

Russia recognised the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in late August. In response, Tbilisi ended diplomatic relations with Moscow and has called the two unrecognised republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occupied territories.